This free version retains all the rules and layout but blanks out all of the art in the book. It is a player's guide, and all of the mechanics that a player would run into are explained. Lamentations is a re-imagined version of Basic Dungeons & Dragons (very similar to the Mentzer Red Box rules) designed to evoke the feel of gritty pulp fantasy... Clark Ashton Smith, HP Lovecraft, and Robert E. Howard's stories all fit in well here. Combat uses a d20 with ascending AC, with very similar math to D&D 3e and 5e. Skills are resolved using a d6. The spell lists have been mostly re-worked to dump a lot of "magic artillery" spells in favor of illusion and reality manipulation.

Much like Mentzer D&D this is a really polished system for fantasy gaming. The classes are all much more plain than basic D&D, but the stripped-down nature of it makes everything move smooth, fast, and logically. Despite having an 18+ warning on the front, without the art there is nothing too shocking about this game. The shocking stuff is in the art, and other products. There is no implied setting, but most of the published adventures in this line will take place in 1600-1650 Europe, so rules for arms and armor from that period are included (including blackpowder weapons.) For seasoned D&D gamers, this game will be very familiar to you and easy to play and run. Compared to other D&D games on the market, this may not have a flashy intro box, but the rules are solid, easier to work with, and the price is right... both for this free version and other products in the line.